Mobile devices are usable for telecommunications, and proliferate all aspects of daily life. Users with mobile devices frequently travel to a variety of places for a variety of purposes. It is conceivable that regardless of what or where a place might be, if there is a human user in that place, it is very likely that the user has a mobile device on the user's person or otherwise available to the user with which to establish a telecommunications call (hereinafter, “call”).
A call is any suitable method of telecommunication, including but not limited to audio telephonic communications, video telecommunications, textual messaging, taptically or haptically telecommunicating information, and generally telecommunication of data in these and other forms. Any type of mobile device can be used for a call. A mobile device is capable of relocating from one location to another as a user associated with the mobile device moves from one location to another. As some non-limiting examples, the mobile device can take the form of a cellular phone, a smartphone device, a tablet computer, a portable computing platform, a wearable device, and the like.
A typical call begins with a calling user (hereinafter, “caller”) dialing a number associated with a mobile device associated with a called user (hereinafter, “callee”). The service provider connects the call between the caller's telecommunication device and the callee's mobile device. In some cases, the caller selects a callee's name, such as from a phonebook or a similar contacts management application, and the caller's device calls the number stored relative to the callee's name in the phonebook.
In some cases, a caller may not know the callee or a callee's number. A caller can use a directory service, whereby the caller identifies the intended callee by name, address, or both, and the directory service provides the callee's number to the caller, connects the call between the caller and the callee, or both.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that for the directory service to work using only the address, the callee's number has to be permanently associated with that address, even if the number is assigned to a mobile device. In other words, if a callee has to be reached only by knowing the callee's address, the callee's number must be unchangeably associated with the address, even if the device associated with the number is mobile.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that presently, there is no available method by which a caller could call any callee who may be present at a given location at a given time. In other words, if a caller were interested in calling anyone who may be present at or around a specified geographical location, during a given period, the caller will be able to call that location only if either a number is permanently associated with that location and the caller calls that number, or the caller calls a specific known callee whose presence at the location might be a known fact to the caller.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that such a deficiency in the present telecommunications systems are severely limiting in many circumstances. The illustrative embodiments recognize that under certain circumstances, a caller may want to call any callee who satisfies a location-related criterion. A location-related criterion is a criterion or condition, which may specify a location, or from which a location can be deduced, and which must be satisfied by a potential callee. For example, a caller might want to call anyone—even an unknown callee—who may be at the park after fifteen minutes or reach the park in fifteen minutes, to ask whether they see a child with a red sweater on the swing there at that future time. The park may not have a number associated therewith, and different callees may be present at the park at different times.
The callee's presence at a location—the park—is an example of a location-related criterion where the park is a location specified in the criterion. The callee's likely or actual presence at a location—the park—after fifteen minutes is an example of a future location—related criterion where the park is a location specified in the criterion and the presence there after fifteen minutes is a future time based condition that must be satisfied by the callee. Generally, a future time based condition is a condition that has to be satisfied at a time later than the time at which the condition is specified. A future time based condition can be satisfied by the caller, the callee, a third-party, a system, an event, or some combination thereof.
As another example, a caller might want to call anyone—even an unknown callee—who may be near a store, to ask whether the store has a line of patrons outside when the callee reaches the store. The callee's presence at a location—near the store, e.g., within certain distance of the store—is another example of a location-related criterion where the store may be specified but “near” the store may be an unspecified location in the location-related criterion. The “near the store” location may not have a number associated therewith, or even an address associated therewith. Furthermore, the “near the store” may not be a specific location but an area, such as an area defined by a radius or other geographical fence. Additionally, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be present in the area at different times.
“When the callee reaches the store” is a future time based condition that must be satisfied by the callee. In other words, not only should the callee satisfy a location criterion, but also a future time based condition, for the caller to select the callee for the call.
As another example, a caller might want to call anyone—even an unknown callee—if certain other types of location-related conditions or criteria are met by the callee, to exchange some information. For example, the caller might be interested in calling someone who will be stationary, i.e., not driving, and ask the callee about a landmark that is visible from the callee's future location. The callee being stationary at the callee's future location is another example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition where the callee's location may or may not be specified in the location-related criterion. As in the other examples above, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be present at the callee's location at different times.
As another example, the caller might be interested in calling someone who is in a group of ten people or more, with a known person, such as a well known performer whose present location is available. However, the caller may not want to call anyone in the group until the known person has left the present location. The callee's presence with a group is another example of a location-related criterion where the location of the group is unspecified in the location-related criterion. The known person leaving the present location at a future time is a future time based condition that has to be satisfied for the location based call to occur in the future. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be present with the known person at different times.
As another example, the caller might be interested in calling, at a future time, anyone who is presently situated at a present location so as to be able to reach a future location within a given amount of time. The callee's presence at the present location—from where the future location is reachable—is an example of a location-related criterion. The callee reaching the future location after the given amount of time is a future time based condition that has to be satisfied for the location based call to occur in the future. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be within such a distance from the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might be a member of a household who may be interested in calling, at a future time, anyone who is situated at a location with another member of the household at a future time so as to be able to give a message or otherwise interact with the other member of the household at that future time. For example, such a situation may arise when the other member has forgotten his mobile phone and is not stationary at a predetermined location. The location of the other member of the household can be determined using a suitable mechanism other than a mobile device associated with the other member. For example, the other member's location is determinable at a store when the other member uses his credit card to make a purchase at the store. The callee may be another patron at the store. The callee's co-location with the other member of the household is an example of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might be interested in calling anyone near a lost pet to catch or corral the pet. The dog's location may be determined by a tracker in the pet's collar and the like. Because the pet is loose, the caller is interested in reaching different callees at different times according to the future travel path of the lost pet on an ongoing basis until the pet is captured. The callee's co-location near a future location of the pet at a future time is an example of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at those different future locations at different times. A similar situation can arise with a lost child or with a lost item in a public transportation vehicle as well.
As another example, the caller might own a fleet of vehicles, one of which reports an on-board diagnostic issue over the air to the caller. The caller may be interested in calling, at a future time, any callee who is in or about the reporting vehicle's position at the future time, and not driving at that future time. The future location of the reporting vehicle can be determined using a suitable mechanism such as by using a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker associated with the vehicle. The callee may be an employee who is a passenger in the vehicle and the future time may be when the vehicle is close to a repair facility. The callee being an employee who is a passenger and the callee's future co-location with the vehicle near the repair facility is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might own a fleet of vehicles, one of which reports an on-board diagnostic issue over the air to the caller. The caller may be interested in calling, at a future time, any callee who is in or about the reporting vehicle's position at the future time, and performing a certain role at that future time. The callee may be a dock employee who guides incoming vehicles to various locations in the dock. The future time may be when the vehicle is at the dock. The callee being a dock employee who is at the dock location meeting the vehicle when it arrives at the dock, to guide the vehicle to the repair facility is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be within at the location at different times. Furthermore, one dock employee responding may squelch the call on other dock employee's devices at that future time.
As another example, the caller might want to call any member of a lunch group from his office that may be at a particular restaurant at 12:30 PM today so that the member may pick up the caller's lunch from that restaurant. The callee being at the restaurant at 12:30 PM and the callee being a member of a lunch group is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might want to call any member of a group at a specified location when no one at that location is talking on their phones. The callee being at the location and a time when no one is talking on the phone is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might want to call any callee at a specified location when the caller reaches a different location. The callee being at the specified location at a time when the caller reaches the second location is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
As another example, the caller might want to call any callee who is a heart specialist near the caller's location when the caller experiences the symptoms of a heart attack. The callee being a heart specialist near whichever location is the site of the future heart attack is an example of a combination of a location-related criterion and a future time based condition. The callee's qualifications—e.g., a heart specialist—can be determined by any suitable methods, including but not limited to public information associated with the callee's mobile device number. Again, different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, may be at the location at different times.
Generally, the caller might be interested in calling one or more than one callee who may be located in an area or location during a given future period and satisfies a caller-specified condition during that future period. Furthermore, the caller may want at least n callees to respond, no more than n callees to respond, n or more callees to respond, or some combination thereof. Furthermore, the caller may want one or more responses within a given period. Not only could different callees, with different mobile devices, and with different numbers or identifiers, be present at the location during the period, but also the group of potential callees may change during the period as callees enter and leave the area.
Furthermore, in some cases the location that has to be called may be determined or be determinable before the future time based condition is satisfied at a future time. In some other cases, the location that has to be called may not be determined or be determinable until the future time based condition has been satisfied at a future time. Additionally, in either type of cases, not just one but any number of conditions may have to be satisfied at the future time.
These examples situations are not intended to be limiting. From this disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to conceive many other situations where such calls are desirable and the same are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments.
The illustrative embodiments recognize that presently available methods of calling are severely limited in establishing a call in these and other similar circumstances. Thus, a solution for calling one or more transient callees or callee-associated mobile devices based on the mobile device's location and a condition being satisfied at a future time is needed and will be beneficial.